Sliding storage rack



Jan. 5, 1954 SHAW SLIDING STORAGE RACK Filed Sept. 9, 1948 INVENTOR.

Mzf am maya Patented Jan. 5, 1954 UNITED, STATES PATENT OFFICE SLIDING STORAGE RACK Thomas Shaw, Cranston, R. I., assignor to Stackbin Corporation, a corporation oi. Rhode Island Application September 9, 1948, Serial No. 48,412

8 Claims. (01. 2484128) f This invention relates to a unit rack of the type to be stacked one upon another with each rack adapted to receive one container andin which there is a carriage which mayslide from the unit and upon which the container to be stored is located. The slide will move outwardly from the frame a distance sufficient so that the .box which is on the carriage may be easily removed therefrom.

Sliding racks of this character have often been provided with rollers to support the slide for easier movement thereof when the loaded carriage is on the slide. Also, a plurality of parts are usually provided in the formation of the rack and slide and this requires assembly of these 1 parts by welding or other securing means,

One of the objects of this invention is to pro- ,vide a more rugged rack and one which will require less assembly operations in the securing different pieces together.

Another object of this invention is to provide a frame for the slide which will be of a minimum number of parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide a guide for the sliding carriage which will afford an easy movement of the sliding carriage into and out of the frame and will also limit the move- ,ment of the sliding carriage in both of its directions. 1

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

" Figurel is a perspective view of the rack and units which may be stacked one upon the other,

each unit comprising a frame in which there is slidably'mounted a carriage to be pulled out of the frame a distance which is a part of the length thereof. The frame comprises a base of sheet stock folded to provide a back and side rails extending therefrom, and these rails are all formed from a single piece of material which is bent at the junction of the rails; The rails'are of angular cross-section, each having a vertical wall with inwardly extending flanges to strengthen the vertical walls. The vertical walls of each side rail are provided with an outwardly then inwardly extending portion into which a flange of the carriage extends to limit any upward movement of the carriage which might occur when the carriage-is extended beyond the rack; Yokes are located :at thev cppositeends of the frame side rails which serve as a mounting forv additional units upon the top of the unit and serve to provide limits for the carriage flange. I .With reference tothe drawings, the frame of the unit rack is designated generally I0 and the slide or carriage which is movably mounted in this frame is designated generally II, and may be moved into a position wholly contained within the frame II) or may be moved partly out of theframe, such, for instance, as about onehalf of the length of the frame.

The frame It comprises an angular back rail which has a vertical wall I2 folded at each end as at I3 to provide side walls [4 of side rails extending forwardly therefrom. The backwall i2 is provided with an inwardly extending flange I5, While each of the side Walls I4 are provided with inwardly extending flanges lli which are in the same plane as the flange I 5 and are jointed therewith by a miter seam II. Eachof these flanges l5 and 16-: is further stiffened by a lip l8 which extends downwardly from the inner edge of the flange I6 such as by bending so that each of these flanges is further stiffened.

At the ends of eachof the side rails there are provided yokes of channel shape cross-section such as I9 at thelback and at the front end of the frame. The yoke I9 comprises a channelmember having a top wall or bridging portion 2| with legs 22, which legs 22 extend along the side walls I4 ofthe side rails and are flush with the ends thereof. They are secured to these side wallsbywelding, while across the bottom of the flange i5 and beneath the endsof thelegs 22 cfthis yoke I9 there is provided another channel bar 25 which is welded to the yokes and to the flange i5. and is provided with a means for looking with the upper cross bar 2| of another unit so as to maintain the same in place.

The front yoke 20 comprises a top bar 25 and sidelegs 26, which legs extendalong the outer surface of the side walls [4 of theside rails-and have the ends of the side walls M bent outwardly to extend alongthese legs as at 21 in which location they are welded. A generally channelshaped cross piece 28 extends beneath the ends of these legs 26 and bridges between the side rails. The channel 28 is of a dimension to receive the cross bar 25 of another unit therein so as to hold it in position.

The walls I 4 of the side rails at their upper marginal edges are bent outwardly as at 30 at an obtuse angle to'the outer surface of the wall l4 and'then arebent inwardly as at ill (see Fig ure 2) to extend at substantially right angles to the wall l4, thus providing an angular pocket 32 along the upper edge of each of the, walls I4. This angular relation extends from yoke to yoke 3 so that the yokes extend across the ends of this pocket 32.

The carriage designated generally ll is of angular rail construction and comprise side rails having walls 40 (see Figures 1, 2, and 3) which through the front half of their extent are doubled upon themselves as at 4| (see Figure 3) to stiffen their edges, while at the rear half of their extent, they are flanged outwardly as at 42 (see Figure 2) to extend beneath the portion 3| of the angular pocket 32. The ends of this flange 42 will engage the yokes at either end for limiting the movement of the carriage in either direction, and will also serve to prevent upward movement of the carriage when it is withdrawn from the frame and weight is on the outer end thereof. The ends of the walls 40 are turned inwardly at 43 (see Figure 4) and an end wail consisting of a piece of sheet metal folded upon itself designated generally 44 extends over these inturned ends of the wall 40 and serves to bridge between the walls 40 providing an end wall for the carriage. The walls 40 are also provided with inwardly extending flanges 45 which are strengthened further by downwardly extending lips 46. The edges of the lips 46 closely approach the flange 16 of the frame and provide spaces 51 in which are located anti-friction means for sup porting the carriage on the flange l6.

A bar 4'1 extends betweenthe flanges 45 of the tions 4| of the wall 40 terminate at the location of the bar so as to engage the edge thereof. The bar is thus fitted in its location at the front end of the carriage.

I claim:

1. A unit rack for a container comprising an open frame and a carriage slidably mounted thereon, said frame comprising front and rear yoke members of generally rectangular form, side rails extending between said yokes at the lower portions thereof for connecting said yokes, each of said rails having a lower horizontal flange portion extending inwardly from the inner edge of the sides of said yokes providing a slideway for said carriage, a vertical wall portion extending between the said sides of the yokes at substantially right angles to said flange portion and with the upper marginal edge portion thereof deflected outwardly and then bent inwardly at the upper edge of the deflected portion to provide an upper horizontal flange portion extending parallel to the said lower horizontal flange portion and with the free edge of the said upper flange portion extending substantially flush with the inner edge of the side of said yokes to provide longitudinally extending pockets closed at the ends by said yokes, said carriage having opposite vertical walls closely adjacent to said vertical wall portions and each extending upwardly to be closely adjacent to the said upper flange portion and having an outwardly projecting horizontal flange extending into said pocket beneath said upper flange portion and adapted to engage the same to prevent relative vertical movement between said carriage and slideway. v

' 2.- A unit rack for a container as set forth in claim 1 wherein the said outwardly projecting horizontal flange on said carriage extends along substantially only the rear half of the said opposite vertical walls, the front end of said projecting flange providing an abutment on said carriage for engaging the said front yoke to limit the outward movement of the carriage.

3. A unit rack for a container as set forth in claim l wherein the said outwardly projecting horizontal flanges on said carriage are spec from both ends of the said opposite vertical walls, the ends of said projecting flanges providing abutments on said carriage for engaging the said yokes to limit the outward and inward movement of said carriage.

4, A unit rack for a container as set forth in claim 1 wherein the ends of said pockets are positioned wholly within the outer and inner edges of the sides of said yokes.

5. A unit rack for a container comprising a frame and a carriage slidably mounted therein, said frame comprising a base member having a rear rail and side rails, said side rails each having a horizontal flange extending inwardly in the same plane providing a slideway for said carriage, said side rails each having a vertical wall at the outer edge of the rail extending in parallel relation to each other and at right angles to said horizontal flange, each of said vertical Walls being deflected outwardly at an obtuse angle to the vertical wall to provide an obtuse wall and then inwardly horizontally to provide a horizontal wall and from a longitudinally extending pocket extending a major portion of the length of the side rails, and said carriage having an inwardly horizontal flange overlying the slideway of the base for sliding co-operation therewith and side portions each with a vertical wall closely adjacent said vertical wall of said rail with an outwardly extending flange extending in said pocket and underlying said horizontal wall and slidably related thereto and adapted to engage said horizontal wall to limit the upward movement of the carriage.

6. A unit rack as in claim 5 wherein said flanges on the carriage extend along substantially the rear half of said carriage side walls.

'7. A unit rack as in claim 5 wherein said frame also comprises a yoke located at the forward end of said side walls and across the end of said pockets to be engaged by said carriage flanges to limit the outward movement of the carriage.

8. A unit rack as in claim 5 wherein said frame also comprises yokes located at the forward and rear end of said side walls and across the ends of said pockets to be engaged by said carriage flanges to limit the movements of the carriage in opposite directions.

THOMAS SHAW.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 810,909 Catlin Jan. 30, 1906 1,162,258 Schnur Nov. 30, 1915 1,376,493 Wickstrom May 3, 1921 1,739,403 Lundberg Dec. 10, 1929 1,866,464 Hallowell July 5, 1932 1,929,467 Bales Oct. 10, 1933 2,046,095 Shaw June 30, 1936 2,217,890 Cohen Oct. 15, 1940 2,239,618 Muirhead Apr. 22, 1941 2,344,168 Regenhardt Mar. 14', 1944 2,539,963 Moberg Jan. 39, 1951 

